Three stabbed near the MAC

By: Josh Beneteau and Jackie Hong

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TglljSfk-c[/youtube]

One man is facing 20 charges after three people were stabbed and three more were attacked not but injured near the Mattamy Athletic Centre (MAC) Sunday morning in a seemingly random attack, Toronto police said.

Police received a call about a man armed with a knife walking around the Church and Carlton streets area around 8:30 a.m. Sunday. According to police, the man confronted an 18-year-old male and stabbed him in the chest, then walked south on Church Street, began to yell at a 45-year-old male who was jogging and stabbed him above the kidney. The man then came across a 19-year-old female and stabbed her in the rib area, tried to stab two people who managed to escape and finally stabbed a 28-year-old female in the chest.

Police said one of the women had a phone in her pocket that deflected the knife but could not confirm which woman it was. She was not injured.

Paramedics responded to a call about the stabbings at 8:35 a.m. and transported the two men and injured woman to a trauma centre in serious but stable condition. All three are expected to survive.

The suspect was arrested shortly after and without incident on Carlton Street near an entrance to College Station.

The attacks were random and happened “for some unknown reason,” Det. Phil Hibbeln told members of the media.

Several doors at the MAC and adjacent Loblaws as well as the College Station entrance were blocked off with crime scene tape while police investigated. A Toronto police forensics officer told The Eyeopener that one of the victims was stabbed outside on the sidewalk and then moved into the MAC.

Carlton Street was briefly closed from Church Street to Yonge Street while police investigated but has since reopened.

Police have not been able to identify the two people who escaped and are asking them to come forward.

This is the second stabbing to happen near the MAC this year.

The day of the attacks, Ryerson Security and Emergency Services declined to comment on the incident and would not confirm a stabbing happened to The Eyeopener. It put out a security alert about the stabbings on Jan. 26.

Shawn O’Neill, 62, has been charged with four counts of aggravated assault, six counts of possessing a dangerous weapon, six counts of assault with a weapon and four counts of attempted murder. He was scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 26.

Anyone who witnessed the attacks or with information is asked to contact police at (416) 808-5100 or Crime Stoppers at (416) 222-TIPS (8477).

More to come.

Update: Both directions of Carlton St now CLOSED between Church St and Yonge Street for a Police investigation. ^ec

— Toronto Police OPS (@TPSOperations) January 25, 2015

Theres way too many stabbings at church and carlton for my comfort level.

— Cornelius Fillmore! (@MarissaxD) January 25, 2015

Reports of stabbing at Church and Carlton. Heavy police, ambulance presence. @CBCToronto @MichaelSerapio #CBCNN pic.twitter.com/udlYDf2lp7

— Natasha Fatah (@NatashaFatah) January 25, 2015